1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination thin-film magnetic head in which a magnetoresistive (MR) device and an induction type electromagnetic transducer are laminated together, a head gimbal assembly, and a hard disk drive.
2. Related Background Art
Thin-film magnetic heads have been configured so as to float up from a hard disk, which is a recording medium, at the time of recording and reproducing with respect to a hard disk drive. Specifically, a thin-film magnetic head is mounted on gimbals, which are attached to a leading end part of a flexible suspension arm, so as to constitute a head gimbal assembly (HGA). As an airflow caused by a rotation of the hard disk runs under the thin-film magnetic head, the suspension arm flexes, whereby the head floats up.
As the hard disk has been attaining a higher density, the gap between the thin-film magnetic head and the hard disk, i.e., head flying height, has been decreasing from 20 nm to 15 nm and further to 10 nm, thus reaching a limit. In such a state where the head flying height is very small, it is necessary for an electromagnetic transducer for writing and a magnetoresistive device for reading to control their distances from the hard disk appropriately.